Exchange for Romance, Please?
by Rose Zen
Summary: Sere and Mina are bored of the everyday, so they opt for a change. And what better than a new country? After working out an exchange, they jet to London for a few months.  What will they find in the bustling city? Hot exchange brothers, that's for sure!
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! New story here, and I must confess this is my baby. The second I came up with the idea I fell in love, so I hope you all love it, too!

**Exchange for Romance, Please?**

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Serena rolled onto her back and sighed. She rolled her eyes.

"This has been one of the most boring summers and we're only two weeks into it, Mina!"

Mina continued to flip through the pages of…was it the fourth? Yes, the fourth magazine she'd read in two days.

"It's not like we have anywhere to go, Sere. The two of us aren't going to have much fun out by ourselves. We've seen all there is to see in Tokyo and none of the girls are in town anyways. Lita is at culinary school in America, Amy is at a doctors convention with her mom in Germany, and Rei is spending the summer in Hong Kong at her uncle's! It seems like we're the only ones stuck at home."

"Well, why don't we go to the arcade for some pick-me-up milkshakes?" Serena piped up.

"Did you forget already? The owners of the Crown Arcade are on vacation in California," Mina replied in a monotone.

"Did you know you're a party pooper? I mean, really. Ever tried being positive?"

"I love you too, Sere."

"Okay, I cannot take this house any longer! Why don't we go for a walk in the park?"

"Yeah, that's a NO."

Serena threw her hands up in frustration. "Fine! I'm going into the chat rooms to talk to strangers and pedophiles!"

"Have fun! Oh, and don't forget to give full name, address, and phone number!" Mina replied sarcastically.

"Don't worry, I'll give them yours." Serena put on a fake smile.

"Haha. You're so funny I forgot to laugh."

"Hey, look! There's one about bored teens all around the world!"

"Yipee," Mina said unenthusiastically.

"Shut up." Serena glared at the computer screen but she directed it at Mina.

**BunnyGirl0808: **Hello my brothers and sisters in boredom!

**PoshKid1406: **You've only got one sister, I'm sorry to say. Seems we're the only teens around the world with absolutely nothing to do.

**BunnyGirl0808: **Ah. Sad, isn't it? Well, this is Japan speaking. Tokyo, to be exact.

**PoshKid1406:** Oh, no way! I've always wanted to visit there! British, myself.

**BunnyGirl0808:** Uber cool! London?

**PoshKid1406:** How'd you know?

**BunnyGirl0808:** Ugh, lucky! I've always dreamt of living in London.

**PoshKid1406:** Believe me, it's not all that great here. I'm Vanessa, by the way.

**BunnyGirl0808:** I'm Serena, pleased to meet you. Tokyo causes the same misconception.

"Who are you talking to, Sere?"

"This girl named Vanessa. Hey, she lives in London. Isn't that where you lived when you shot Sailor V?"

"Yup," Mina answered, disinterested. Then she perked up. "Wait a sec. Vanessa? Is her screen name PoshKid something or other?"

"Yes. You know her?"

"Do I!" Mina jumped off the bed and began shoving Serena off the chair in front of the computer. "Let me talk to her!"

"Goodness gracious, let me get up!"

Mina was typing like a madwoman the second Serena was off the chair.

**BunnyGirl0808:** Vanessa? It's Mina! Serena's my friend. Goodness, I haven't spoken to you in ages!

**PoshKid1406:** Mina! It's been forever! How are you dear? Ugh, London's awfully drab. I'd love to be in Tokyo.

**BunnyGirl0808:** It's not much better here darling. I think a switch would do us good!

And suddenly an idea occurred to Mina. What she didn't know was that half-way around the world, Vanessa was thinking the same thing.

"Serena, do you think your parents would let you come with me to London?" she said all of a sudden.

"WHAT?!" Serena gawked. "Mina, you must be crazy."

"No! It's all very safe, really. We could do an exchange of sorts. We could stay with Vanessa's family for awhile; I know them, they're great people. And she could stay with my mom or your parents. It would be wonderful! We'd always be protected; she has two older brothers who watch her like hawks, and I'm just as dear to them as she is. And her parents are just about as protective as yours are. Trust me on this. My mom and I could talk to your parents. All you have to do is say the word."

Serena thought over everything Mina had just said. It all seemed very logical and safe. Perhaps it could work. Ah, what the heck? It never hurt to try.

"I'm in."

Mina and Vanessa talked back and forth a bit.

"Alright, her parents have okayed the trip. I know my mom will be thrilled! All we have to do is get your parents on board."

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Alright, there's Chapter One! Hope you guys liked it. I've got the second chapter done and it should be up soon. Changes is almost done too, promise!

Rosie


	2. Chapter 2

Got it back out to ya quickly! Glad to hear all the positive feedback.

**Exchange for Romance, Please?**

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Ken Tsukino entered his home in the late afternoon and was surprisingly met by silence. He looked around the room, but there was nothing, no sound. Just as he sighed in relief and his breathing slowed, his heart rate shot up a good ten beats when two blondes appeared at his sides and latched onto his arms.

"Hi Daddy!"

"Hello Mr. Tsukino!"

"How was work?"

"How are you feeling, sir?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Would you like something to drink?"

Mr. Tsukino inhaled deeply and shook off the grip of the two girls. "Serena, Mina," he nodded to each in salutation and suddenly frowned, "what is it that you two want?"

"Daaadd.."

Ken held up a finger to quiet his daughter.

"Serena, I know you. And Mina," he turned to his daughter's look alike, "you tend to egg her on."

Both girls pouted, but Ken smiled a bit as he pushed his glasses further up his nose.

"I'll have the two of you know I had a great day at work, so now would be a good time to take advantage of me."

At this news, Serena elbowed Mina. "Go on…" she said through gritted teeth.

Mina gulped nervously. "Well Mr. Tsukino, now that you…"

"Aha! I knew it! And it's Ken, dear."

"Right, uh, Ken…well, you do remember that I used to live in London, yes?"

"How could I forget, Mina! You filmed that superhero show you starred in at London! And that program was long running."

"Yes, it was Sailor V. And the show was on television for 3 years more or less."

"Of course! Sailor V! How did that slip my mind?"

There was something in Mr. Tsukino's voice Mina could not quite register. Sarcasm, was it? He raised his eyebrows in interest. Or was it yet another sarcastic action?

Mina continued. "Anyways, I recently got in touch with an old friend from there, very trustworthy you see, and a wonderful family with very protective parents and siblings and all, and she proposed that we have a switcheroo of sorts."

"A switcheroo you say? Well, that sounds like an awful lot of fun!"

"Right! It does!" Mina threw Serena a sly smiled but Sere merely smirked. The blonde carried on. "So my mom said it would be alright for me to go, but there are only two small problems."

"Oh, dear!" Ken leaned forward in his chair dramatically then suddenly sat up and half smiled. "I've been enlightened, Mina. There _must _be some way I can help you out of this. How?"

"Oh, Ken, I'm so glad you asked!" Mina smiled but Serena rolled her eyes, knowing it wouldn't be so easy. "The trouble is that my mom is going on a business convention during part of the time I'm in London, so there's no one to house Vanessa, my friend."

"Well, that's easily taken care of! She can stay with one of your friends."

"That's just what I was thinking Mr. Tsuki…I mean, Ken."

"Then, problem solved!" Ken smiled.

"Well, Ken, you see, all the girls are out of town, except for Serena and myself; you know that." Ken nodded as Mina carried on. "So the only people she could stay with…"

"Would be us." Ken interrupted. "I'd be delighted! And I'm sure Irene would be even more pleased."

"Really, Ken? You'd do that for us?"

"Certainly! We'll get the guest room set up nicely and having your little friend over should keep Serena from missing you too much."

Both girls cringed simultaneously as Mina came to face the biggest challenge they had yet.

"Well, sir, that actually brings me to my second problem."

"Oh, another one?"

"Yes, sir, you see my mom's fine with me staying in London all that time; the two of us did live there all that while. And she trusts the family I'm staying with one hundred and ten percent! The parents are very orderly and very, very protective and the siblings all take good care of one another. But my mother doesn't want me making those long trips alone…"

Suddenly Ken interrupted. He frowned, dropping his act. "Mina, I see where this is going so could you go ahead and…"

Mina interrupted Ken with a burst. "Mr. Tsukino I was wondering if you'd let Serena come with me we'll never leave each other's sides and I can guarantee you she'll be well taken care of where I'm staying and we'll keep out of trouble. We'll behave I promise, please!"

Ken sighed. "Just as I thought. Mina…"

He looked at the blonde's hopeful expression, then at his daughter who merely stared at the table. He knew she expected nothing more than no, and he knew he'd take her by surprise. He'd do this for her.

"Mina, I'll have to check with Irene before I can totally agree to this. I'll have to talk to your mother and I want to know everything about this family."

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So there it is, quick as promised! I'm glad to see you're all enjoying this story. Please review:


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 has arrived! I do believe this is considered…a role, is it called? I wouldn't know, since I've never been on one before!

Exchange for Romance, Please?

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"Mina, could you come sit on this for me?" Serena pointed to her third suitcase. They'd be gone for two months, and a girl could never pack enough, anyways.

"Yeah, let me just…" Mina fell onto her back from her sitting position as she gave the zipper on one of her duffel bags a final tug. She stood and dusted herself off, sitting on the suitcase. "Last minute packers 'til the end, huh, Sere?"

Serena gritted her teeth as she pulled on the reluctant zipper. "Oh, you know it!"

Mina laughed. "You know, I never doubted your dad. I knew he'd let you come with me."

Serena gave the zipper a final yank as it closed. She collapsed onto the floor and stared up at the ceiling. "I was more shocked than you ever could be, Mina. I still can't believe we're leaving to London for two months tomorrow night!"

"Well, believe it girl! And tons of fun awaits us."

Serena sat up, her interest sparked. "Really? Like what?"

"We'll get the sight seeing out of the way during the first week, then we shop, and then we withdraw from the tourist life to live as normal teenagers in London. We meet people, go to parties, and," Mina leaned into Serena, "behave very, very badly! Or naughty, I should say!"

Serena smiled mischievously but raised an eyebrow. "Aren't Vanessa's parents super protective?"

"Yes, I haven't lied. But Andrew and Darien, her brothers, they know their way around the old folks. They bring Vanessa out with them a lot. Hopefully, they'll like you enough to take us out, too."

"Andrew and Darien, huh? What are they like?"

Mina sighed pensively. "They're both really great guys. Andrew is nineteen. He just started college and he's studying medicine, like his brother Darien, who's twenty-one. They're both friendly, but Darien's a bit colder. He'll take awhile to really be comfortable around you. Andrew will glow just at meeting you! He wears his emotions on his sleeves."

"Speaking of glowing, you color at the mention of Mr. Emotions, there!"

"Shut up." Mina threw a stray sock at Serena. "It's been so long since I've seen him. He's probably changed a lot." She stared at the ceiling, which suddenly sprouted sandy blonde hair and green eyes.

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"I wonder what she looks like. Do you think she's changed?"

She rolled her eyes. "The last time you saw her she was only fourteen, and that was three years ago! Of course she's changed!"

He sighed. "I hope it's nothing drastic."

"Andy…"

"Drew, it's most definitely drastic. Last time you saw her she was flat and square as plywood. They're called curves, and when girls become women, they get them!"

"Dar, don't be so condescending."

"I'm not being condescending! He's nineteen. He usually knows these thing but he's having a brain malfunction. I'm fixing it."

"It's not a malfunction. He's love struck."

Darien rolled his eyes.

"Nessa, do you think she'll still like me?"

Vanessa turned to her brother and patted his shoulder. "I'm sure she will Andy. Now, you two help me get these things downstairs."

Darien grabbed the two largest suitcases. "Are you sure you got everything?! Jeeze!"

"Shut up." Vanessa threw a paper ball at her brother.

She and Andrew both grabbed a duffel bag and put them at the doorway with her other things.

"Well," Vanessa sighed, "I'm sure you guys won't have too much to miss. Your hands will be full with double the trouble!"

Andrew's face still held the same goofy smile it had acquired at the first mention of Mina.

Darien sighed. "Believe me, I will miss you terribly. You, my little sister, are calm, serene, loving, caring…but Mina is out of control, out of her mind, over the top, and careless. I love her, but she's crazy. I'll miss the peace and quiet of having you around. You're too much like me. I only hope that her little friend is more like you."

Vanessa patted her big brother's cheek. "I don't know why, Darien, but I get the feeling Serena's not one bit like me."

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There's your third chapter! Don't forget how much I thoroughly enjoy reading your reviews!

XOXO Rosie


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4, as requested. ; Enjoy!

**Exchange for Romance, Please?**

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"Remind me why mom and dad couldn't come get them at such an ungodly hour?"

Andrew rubbed his temple. "Shut up." He picked up a little sugar packet from the coffee station and threw it at Darien. "That was for Vanessa. Mom and dad actually have to go to work in a few hours, so they need to sleep. Now, could you finish your coffee? The girls will be here any minute."

Darien took a swig of his coffee. "As if you're so punctual. You're just desperate to see Mina. You've never been so happy to see our little sister leave. Unlike you, preoccupied with all your reveries of Mina, I miss Nessa already."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "You're just mad because there's no one to baby you anymore. Vanessa is always looking after you, she always takes your side when you fight with mom and dad, and you're always asking her for favors. You know she does anything for us, and you just take advantage of that."

Darien narrowed his eyes. "You're just saying that because you're jealous. It pisses you off that I'm the favorite brother."

Again, Andrew rolled his eyes. "Oh, you've figured me out brother! C'mon, you know Vanessa has no favorites. Now can we go already?"

Darien took the last sip of his coffee and threw out the styrofoam cup. "Let's go."

They walked to the arrival terminal and stood waiting.

"Do you think we should've made a sign?"

Darien looked at his brother as if he'd just asked what his own name was. He started jumping up and down, waving his hands.

"Hey, Mina!" he shouted. Then he turned to Andrew. "Good enough?"

Andrew frowned.

A few minutes later, an announcement came on saying the girls' flight had arrived.

Darien turned to Andrew. "Look, these girls probably brought tons of luggage, so I'm heading down to baggage claim. Use the sign, round them up, and take them over there, alright?"

Andrew nodded and Darien turned to go on to baggage claim and get a good spot. He didn't know the girls' luggage, but he felt he'd somehow recognize it.

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"Attention, passengers: We have now arrived at our destination, London, England. Please remain seated until the captain turns off the seat belt sign. Thank you for flying Lunar Express. We hope you enjoyed your flight!"

Mina and Serena grabbed each other's hands and let out little yelps of excitement.

"Mina, this is really happening! We're in London!"

"I just can't wait to get off this plane! I'm so excited to see Andrew!"

Serena laughed. She was excited to meet the guys she'd be living with for the next two months, too.

A ding sounded and the seat belt sign was off. Serena and Mina stood up in a flash, grabbing their things from under their seats and the over head compartment, walking to the exit as quickly as possible without breaking into a run. They were off the plane in moments, walking down the makeshift hall to the terminal. They went running through paperwork, and finally reached the waiting area for arrivals.

Mina narrowed her eyes looking for a familiar face, when she saw a patch of sandy blonde hair from behind a column. She grabbed Serena's wrist and ran in that direction. As they neared the person, who was turned the other way, he began to jump up and down and wave his arms frantically.

"Miiinaaa!"

She smiled. Now she knew it was him. She tapped his shoulder and he turned abruptly.

He looked at them oddly. "Can I help you, ladies?"

Mina narrowed her eyes and smiled wider, taking in the few ways he'd changed.

"Andrew?"

He narrowed his eyes, studying her carefully. Then suddenly his eyes widened and his mouth fell open just the slightest bit.

"Mina…" he breathed in a whisper.

She jumped on him, hugging him around his neck. She buried her face in his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, still in shock.

"I can't believe it's you," he managed.

She lowered herself and smiled. "You haven't changed one bit. Still about, a foot taller than me! Same hair, same face," she touched his cheek and he blushed, "same eyes…" She trailed off as their eyes met. She quickly pulled her hand away, blushing, and looked at her feet.

Andrew finally found his words. "And you…you've changed so much!" He repeated her previous action, running his thumb over the apple of her cheek. He looked her over, just once. "You're all grown up now." He reached for a strand of her hair. "But, you're still my Mina."

Serena, who was still behind Mina, was glassy eyed and held her hands clasped together. She was in awe of the romance. And Andrew's British accent was pretty striking, too. She sighed.

Andrew heard a sigh behind Mina and peered over her shoulder. He jumped back, startled. He blinked a few times, then burst out laughing. "Sorry, you gave me a fright there."

Mina turned crimson, realizing Serena had just been standing there this whole time.

"I'm so sorry," she muttered in shame. "Andrew, this is my best friend…"

"You must be Serena." Andrew stuck his hand out towards her and smiled brightly. "I'm Andrew, and it's a great pleasure to meet you."

Serena shook his hand, smiling as well. "Ditto," she replied.

"You know, you two bear a striking resemblance to each other."

Serena smiled at Mina. "If I leave my hair down, not even our parents can tell us apart."

Andrew laughed. "I can believe that! It really is hard to believe the two of you aren't twins!"

The three of them laughed when Mina suddenly asked, "Where's Darien?"

"He's at baggage claim getting a head start. He hates the airport and wants out, A.S.A.P."

Serena nodded, shaking her fist with her eyes narrowed. "Yes, airports are terrible, so crowded." She sweat dropped anime style then turned to Andrew and Mina. "I think I'll go ahead of you two and help out…Darien, right? You guys need a moment alone."

Mina and Andrew both smiled gratefully at Serena.

"Are you sure you can find your way?"

Serena nodded, pointing to the directions above her.

She began to walk towards baggage claim. 'Those two are so cute!' she thought to herself. 'I hope they really enjoy the time we have here together'. Serena sighed, smiling, and put her hand to her head. She realized her odangoes were disheveled and fixed them, even though they were giving her a head ache. She reached baggage claim, and it was already crowded.

As she walked around, she noticed a tall guy with black hair standing by a cart that held her pink bunny-patterned suitcases. She figured it was Darien and walked over to introduce herself.

She tapped his shoulder and he turned. "Excuse me…"

His eyes widened, and she turned beet red as he enveloped her in a bear hug.

"Mina? It's been so long! You're gorgeous as ever, though you haven't grown an inch!" He pulled back and looked at her. "And your hair is…interesting. I think your loose hair suits you better. You look like you've got meatballs on your head!" He chuckled.

Serena shoved him off and glared at him. "Excuse me! Who are you to make fun of my hair and my height?! I'm not Mina. I'm her friend, Serena!"

Darien blushed.

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Tee hee. Hope that satisfies those of you who were inpatient. And yes, Darien and Andrew both have British accents. ; Hott, right?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5! Sorry it took awhile. These past two weeks have been a whirlwind for me and I'm still dizzy and dreamy. There was a big award show last Thursday, and I was able to go and meet a few celebrities I really admire. :) Totally exciting! But I've finally settled, so here's the next installment of…

**Exchange for Romance, Please?**

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"I'm so sorry."

Serena was indignant. "You sure know how to make a first impression."

Darien clasped one of her hands between his. His expression was pleading. "Truly, I'm terribly sorry. It was merely a joke, really, you're lovely. Please forgive me. I so looked forward to meeting you and I'd hate to have ruined that."

Serena was still read, but it was no longer anger. She was blushing! She could only stare at her hand in his.

"What do you say?" he asked.

For the first time, she looked to his face. Now she blushed deeper as their eyes met. She took in the beauty of his face, every line and curve, the shade of blue his eyes held.

He couldn't move his eyes from her. She looked like a porcelain doll, her creamy skin, cerulean eyes, pretty, pink lips and flushed cheeks.

She blinked, coming back down to earth. She smiled and nodded, still blushing.

"Well, then, good morning, miss. Welcome to London! My name is Darien Shields and I am very pleased to meet you."

"Good morning to you, too, Darien. I am Serena Tsukino and I'm glad to meet you, too."

Both smiled and Darien finally released her hand, standing straight.

"Now, Serena, honestly, where did you get such an odd hairstyle?" he asked, smirking.

Serena turned red again and glared at him. "Why, you…" She contained herself, remembering she'd be sharing a home with this boy these next few months. "Grow up!"

They stood in silence with their arms crossed and their eyes narrowed, Serena frowning and Darien smirking.

Mina and Andrew stood nearby in silence, picking up Mina's orange star-patterned suitcases. They had reached baggage claim awhile ago but said nothing after noticing the tension between the other two.

Serena stared at the conveyor belt, watching the passing suitcases. 'What a jerk!' she thought, 'What is his problem, thinking he can tease me about my hair?!'

She reached for one of her bags just as Darien did.

"I'll take it," she said, faking a smile and glaring.

"Oh, I insist!" Darien gently pulled on the suitcase.

Serena yanked it back violently-or so she considered it. Darien felt it more as a light tug.

"Really," she said to him through gritted teeth, "I've got it."

He shrugged and put the wheels of the suitcase on the floor. He stood behind the cart. "Please tell me this is all."

Serena gave him a dirty look before looking over the cart.

"That's everything," she said coldly, turning on her heel and stomping towards Mina and Andrew.

"Are you guys ready to go?"

Mina counted all four of her suitcases, one of which was in her hand, and nodded. She sweat dropped anime style. "I hope you guys brought a big enough car."

"Actually, we brought two, Mi," Darien said smiling, sticking his head out from behind Serena's luggage.

"Darien!" She ran towards him and threw her arms around him. He chuckled, hugging her back, then kissed the top of her head.

"My, you've grown! Three years ago you were just to my chest, like Serena, there. Now you've almost reached my shoulder!"

Serena fumed silently while Mina laughed. "I missed you Darien."

"So did I, though not as much as Andrew, here."

Mina and Darien laughed as Andrew blushed and Serena continued to fume.

"Alright," Andrew finally said, "we should be going now."

Andrew and Mina walked alongside each other, Serena stomped angrily behind them, and Darien strolled behind her, pushing the cart.

'Idiot!' She thought, 'He didn't mean a word he said earlier. He's probably-'

Serena's thoughts were interrupted as she tripped over Mina's suitcase and yelped. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the landing, but it never came. She opened her eyes to see the floor just inches below her. Feeling an arm around her waist, she turned to meet face-to-face with Darien, who was even closer than the ground.

"Are you alright?"

She could feel his breath on her face. She turned crimson.

"I'm fine." She looked down to no avail, blushing deeper at the strong arm that held her.

"Sure?"

She nodded. "Yes, thank you."

He helped her up, taking her hand as she regained her balance and holding it as she smoothed down her jean skirt. He blushed, realizing he still held her hand, and dropped it, sticking his own hand in his pocket.

She looked up at him and smiled sheepishly. "Thanks again."

"Oh, it was no trouble. Just pay better attention to where you're going, hm?"

Mina, who had quietly been watching the entire escapade next to Andrew, finally spoke up. "Honestly Serena, we just got here and you've already had a klutz attack! Be careful."

Darien chuckled. "Not so much as klutzy, Mi. Ditzy, maybe, but-"

Serena stomped her foot in anger as her head snapped back towards Darien. "Listen, you, we've just met today and you've done nothing but mock me when we're only on a name basis. I'm insulted, pissed off, and I don't want to be near you, even less hear a word from you, for the rest of this day!"

Andrew cleared his throat. "Um, Serena, I fully understand where you're coming from, and I'm sorry that my brother's being a _jerk,_" at this Andrew glared at Darien, "but I'm afraid there's a problem with your demand." Mina winced as Andrew continued. "Darien and I both own small, two-door sports cars. Normally you could fit four people into one of our cars without trouble, but we correctly calculated that you'd both bring plenty of luggage. So we brought both our cars and plan to use our trunks and back seats to accommodate your bags, leaving room only for-"

"The driver and one passenger. And of course, you and Mina want to ride together." Mina and Andrew nodded. Serena shot a glare at Darien and sighed. "How long is the trip?"

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There's Chapter 5! Hope you all enjoyed. Please review. Expect some laughs next chapter:D

Rosie


	6. Chapter 6

Alas! I have returned! But I don't wish to bore you with silly author's notes, so onward!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, save Vanessa, but the plot is mine, ALL MINE! evil laughter

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Darien shoved the last of Serena's bags into the back seat of his car. He stepped out of the passenger side and held the door open for Serena. She looked at him strangely as she stepped forward and glanced at him again as she hopped into the car. Darien only smiled lightly, closed the door, rounded the car, and got in on the driver's side.

After starting the car they still had to wait on Andrew and Mina, so Darien pulled his CD case from under hi seat and placed it in Serena's lap. She looked at it, then at him, and he nudged his head, telling her to go on; she unzipped it and started flipping through it. She seemed uninterested at first, so Darien took to watching Andrew and Mina load up the car, but she suddenly gasped and stopped flipping. He looked over at the CD and chuckled.

"Believe it."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"A twenty-one year old male who likes the Backstreet Boys?"

Darien smiled and Serena thought she'd become a puddle in his leather seat.

"My sister's a huge fan and it just sort of…rubbed off." He quirked an eyebrow. "How'd you know I'm twenty-one?"

"Um…Mina, she told me all about you two before the trip."

"Hm," Darien watched as Serena continued flipping through his CDs. Yellowcard, John Mayer, Nickleback, Dashboard…she stopped and looked up at him about to ask a question when their eyes met. The words got caught in her throat, as did her breath. They looked at each other in the eyes, searching deep.

The sound of a passing car pulled Darien back and he broke eye contact. He stared at the steering wheel while Serena nervously played with the hem of her skirt, and at that moment she saw something cross his expression. They sat that way, in silence, for what seemed like an eternity. Andrew finally honked, signaling it was time to pull out. Darien stared at the road and Serena had taken to the CDs again when she remembered the question she'd wanted to ask.

"Hey, Darien, what's Juanes?"

Darien smiled just the slightest bit, looking at her a moment. "Another one of my sister's favorites. She's fluent in Spanish, so she loves him. He's a Columbian pop rock singer. I can't understand him for the life of me, but I think he's a genius on the guitar."

Serena nodded, smiling as she continued looking through the case. She stopped a moment and looked at Darien curiously.

"You really love your sister, don't you?"

Darien smiled widely, with his teeth for once, and now Serena really thought she would melt. Serena could see the gleam in his eyes at the mention of his sister.

"You could say I'm attached. Andrew is too, but he's distracted with Mina. These next few months will not be easy without Vanessa."

"I know how you feel. I left a little brother at home, my annoying little Sammy."

Silence pervaded again, but this time it was comfortable. Serena took to the CDs again and finally chose one, putting it in the CD player. A guitar began to strum and yet again, Darien grinned.

"Secondhand Serenade," Darien said, not taking his eyes from the road, "great choice."

"I love him. He's great," Serena commented.

Darien nodded with a grin, then took out his phone and dialed someone.

"Hey…no, nothing's the matter. Yes. I'm just going to make a coffee stop. Yes. Okay. Drive-thru, yes…alright, bye."

Darien hung up and turned to Serena. "Um, it's just past 4 AM and I barely got any sleep, so I'm sure you understand a stop for some coffee.

Serena smiled. "I could use a frappuccino myself."

It was quiet awhile, just the sound of _Maybe _playing softly. Darien looked at Serena, then back at the road.

"Serena, I want to apologize for earlier, for calling you a ditz. I meant to tease you, not to insult you. I'm sorry."

Serena turned to him and something told her his apology was genuine. She looked at him for awhile without a word and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye, waiting. Finally, Serena placed a hand on his arm and gave it a squeeze, causing both of them to blush.

"Well, I AM only 5 feet tall. And I'm not exactly graceful, I admit."

Darien smiled whole-heartedly at Serena, a particular gleam in his eyes. And Serena knew that from that moment on, she wanted to be the only girl associated with that particular gleam.

He squeezed her hand, just a moment, "Thank you."

Suddenly, Serena saw something cross him. He grew serious, and a frown came over his face. She removed her hand, and he broke out of his trance. He glanced at his arm, then at her, then back at the road, all with a consistently cold expression.

No other word was uttered the entire ride, save what was necessary to order the coffee.

Serena wondered what had caused him to snap into such a distant state. After about an hour of driving, they finally came to a gated community. Keeping his eyes on the road, Darien explained some things.

"About our living conditions, I run the house for the most part. Dad and mum are both very busy, business-savvy lawyers, co-owners of Shields and Douglas Corp. They travel on many business trip and spends endless hours at the office, and thus are rarely home during waking hours. Mina told you they're crazily over-protective, hands-on parents?"

At this, Serena nodded, and Darien continued.

"They were when Mina was here, and continued to be until I turned eighteen. Being as responsible as I was and still am, they left the house in my hands and have been devoting their full-time to the company since. Through her high school years, Andrew and I have been the ones keeping tight tabs on Vanessa, and we intend to do the same with you and Mina. The two of you will come out with us for the most part, and when you do make friends, we will chaperone you. We also keep social gatherings with friends to our house. These are the conditions you two will be under. Understood?"

"Does Mina know this?"

"Andrew is supposed to tell her."

"And we'll be under your supervision always?"

"One of the two of us certainly will be watching you girls."

Serena sighed and crossed her arms. Darien could tell she was upset about all the rules, but he wasn't about to be sympathetic. It was his house, and he ran it his way. He felt the need to express this to her, and not in a very nice fashion, either.

"You wanted change? I doubt your house is Tokyo is an estate, and I certainly doubt that it's run by a twenty-one year old."

Serena's eyes widened and she cold only stare. His cold, unnecessary remark left her bewildered. She was unbuckled, with a grip on the door handle before he had even parked in the driveway. She pushed the door open the second he'd stopped. The words to say came to her as she was about to step out of the car. With her legs already on the ground, she turned back to look at him.

"I don't know what I was thinking, but for about thirty minutes, you had me believing that we could actually get along."

With an icy glare, she stepped out of the car and slammed the door, shaking the car, and giving Darien a shake with it. He hadn't realized how rude he'd actually been until that moment.

He sprang out of the car and walked up to Serena, who was unloading her bags from the trunk, and got a hold of her arm. He turned her to face him. "Serena-"

"Look, don't apologize anymore. That'll be the third time you say sorry in less than two hours, and we both know that you don't mean it."

"I do, Serena, I do! I just don't exactly think things through-"

"…Before you say them. That's why you keep putting your foot in your mouth!"

"Serena, I didn't think what I said would upset you. Honestly, I didn't intend to! What good would it do me to make you angry?"

"Darien, all I know is that you should learn to keep your tongue in check. I don't think you realize how easy it is to hurt a person's feelings."

"Look, I'm just not use to all of this, alright? You're unlike anyone I've ever known and you're certainly not as I hoped you'd be!"

"Now what is the supposed to mean?! How can that possibly be interpreted nicely?!"

"No, no, no, I'm not trying to be offensive! Look, it's just, what with Mina always running around like a headless chicken, I hoped you'd be a bit…calmer. But you're just as explosive. Running a house with the two of you and you being a stranger and all, and keeping up with school and my job, I'm under a lot of pressure, not to mention all the stress I get from…" Again, something crossed him and his face fell. "I'm rambling… Look, please, just accept my apology. I tend to say things I don't mean when I'm cross, and I'm truly sorry."

Serena looked at him and her eyes softened at the sincerity in his voice and his eyes, but then she resumed a fierce look.

"If you have to apologize to me for some stupid action just one more time for the rest of this day, Darien Shields-"

"I will put myself in the dog house, with my tail between my legs and sadness in my eyes," he finished, taking her bags from her hands.

-------------------------------------------------------------

And there's another installment of Exchange! Aren't you all pleased? I typed this up rather quickly, and as you read I'm already typing Chapter 7! I hope to have it up by tomorrow but I can't make any promises. I'm up to about Chapter 10 in my writings, and I'm seeing this story is going to be a long shot! But I doubt I'll lose interest as I did with Changes…after all, this is my baby, and it's based on my own desires of travel and foreign romance! Anywho, I hope to hear from you all in a review!

XOXO Rosie

PS If you don't already know some of the artists I mentioned earlier, you should totally check them out. Especially Juanes! He is my all time favorite. Ever. :)


	7. Hello Loves, Quick Note :

Lord have mercy, over two years since my last update! I'm so, so sorry for the ridiculous delay, but I just wanted to post this quick note to have you all know that I haven't died (yet) and that I haven't forgotten where I started, with Fanfiction! I've been working on my own novels for the past couple of years, starting with ideas and scrapping them. Along the way, I've also been through a break up, a death in the family, and a few other tragedies. However, luckily, now I am a year out of high school and a sophomore studying education at the lovely FIU, and blessed beyond measure with a wonderful, near perfect boyfriend of just over a year, and couldn't be happier! I have a lot going on… Summer classes, a few relatives battling cancer, lots of involvement at my school and my church, and all these things combat with my dedication to my Fanfiction, not to mention the work on novels I'm still putting together. BUT, I just wanted to post this quick note to let you all know that you've not been forgotten, that I DO love this story, and that I do intend to go on with it. I appreciate all the love you all gave me over the years I was active on Fanfiction, and I want you to know you've not been abandoned! (: I'll be continuing with my this story, and also attempting to wrap up _Changes_ once I've returned from my vacation, so expect an update after the 26 of June, and perhaps, if I can manage to squeeze the writing in, you'll see a chapter before the 19 of June as well.

Love you all, and many, many blessings!

-Rosy

Proverbs 16: 9


	8. Chapter 7

Back, and back with a vengeance! It feels great to be writing again. It's an excellent escape. Without further adieu, (you've waited long enough!) I give you…

**Exchange for Romance, Please?**

Lost in the argument she and Darien were having, Serena had failed to notice the sheer extravagance of the estate they had pulled in to.

"THIS is your house?"

Darien chuckled. "Welcome to our humble abode, dear."

Serena gawked at the size of the place, and at the fact that Darien had called her dear, also, but mostly because of the former. The cobblestone driveway and surrounding lands of the house had to have been about the size of her entire block… maybe bigger. And the house! The place was breathtaking. It was a huge three-story home, decorated with beautiful slate stones along the bottom half and painted a neutral yet stylish taupe with beautiful dark brown trimmings and windows galore.

As they approached the entrance to the house, Serena was amazed by the cathedral style front door, carved out of dark mahogany wood, flanked by a gorgeous sconce on either side.

"I've died and gone to home design heaven!"

Darien laughed again, enjoying the look on Serena's face through it all. "My sister would be overjoyed to hear someone appreciating her work. She teamed up with a designer my mom hired to do a remodel last year. She's lived off of HGTV about all her life, so she was excited to do some decorating."

Serena nodded, her mouth still hanging open as she took in the exterior of the house. Darien finally nudged her. "How about shutting that fly trap and helping me get the door open, hm?" he teased, "Keys are in the front pocket of my shirt. It's the one with the British flag design."

Serena cracked a smile and took the keys from his pocket as instructed. She noticed that each key had a topper in the shape of a guitar and giggled as she placed the designated key in the keyhole.

"What are you laughing at, hm?"

Serena smiled up at Darien as she twisted the key to unlock the door. "I just remembered my own Hello Kitty key caps for my keys back at home. And wondered why in the world you have one…" Serena smirked holding up a key topped with a Hello Kitty with a big red bow and little heart shaped sunglasses.

Serena burst out laughing at the blush that crept up Darien's cheeks as he snatched his keys from Serena's hand. "I'll have you know it's a copy to my sister's car key, thank you very much, and she put it there herself."

"I'm sure." Serena chuckled again.

Darien scowled at her. "Would you mind just going in the house already, seeing as your mocking me is doing no help in getting us settled?"

Serena chuckled and patted his arm. "Be a good sport," she said as she finally opened the door. The sight that met her quickly sobered her humor and she was back to her previous expression, mouth hanging open.

Upon entrance to the home Serena and Darien were greeted by a grand, split staircase carved entirely out of the same cream marble that adorned the floor. The walls were painted a warm golden hue, and the banister mirrored the same dark mahogany color from the door, but was actually made out of wrought iron in an intricate and elegant design. In between the two staircases stood a beautiful grand piano, also carved out of dark mahogany, with some sheet music out in plain sight. Serena immediately wondered who…

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Darien asked from behind her, interrupting her train of thought.

Serena turned to face him. "Darien, if your sister seriously came up with this, she's a design genius."

Darien laughed for what seemed like the hundredth time. He couldn't remember laughing so often in so short a period of time. He set the suitcases down and walked towards the instrument, placing a hand on its lid. "She did have the help of the designer. But I meant the piano."

Serena gave a small smile as she watched Darien running his hands across the lid. "Do you play?"

Darien looked up from the piano. "Oh, I mostly listen while Vanessa plays and turn the pages for her."

"That still doesn't answer my-"

"I can't believe how different it all is!" Mina exclaimed, bursting through the door and unknowingly interrupting Serena.

Darien approached Mina, laughing. "You won't believe it, Mi. All the bedrooms, kitchen, everything is upstairs. Vanessa and this designer Mom hired completely flipped the house."

Mina started heading towards the wide hall behind the staircase, which Serena had yet to notice, and Darien followed her, causing Serena to go in their same direction. In the hallway, Serena saw double doors to her left and right, and then beautiful glass French doors at the end of the hall, which clearly led to the backyard, as Serena could see through the glass.

Mina pulled open the doors to the right and gasped at the sight she beheld, while Serena tried rushing to her side to see as well. Behind the door was a huge, artistically decorated game room. It was decorated bar style, with dark hardwood floors, walls the same golden color as in the foyer, and wood ceilings, with dangling and recessed lighting. Right by the door were two foosball tables to the left and a large pool table to the right. A few feet away from the pool table was a poker table, and across from that on the opposite wall behind the foosball tables, a few old-fashioned arcade games and pinball machines lined the wall, lighting up the area with bright colors. In the right back corner of the room, a small bar was fashioned with a variety of drinks sitting on shelves against the wall, behind a wooden counter that faced a few bar stools. Against the back wall of the room, two big screen TVs with two separate sitting areas shared a library of movies and video games, and both were set up with various game systems like XBOX, Wii, PS3, and a few older game systems, like the GameCube and the N64. And again, Serena was gawking; luckily, she wasn't the only one anymore.

"Darien, this is amazing!" Mina yelled again.

Darien smiled. "I'm glad you like it. If you take a look over at the arcade games, there's a little something Vanessa let me pick out in your memory," he said with a wink.

Mina walked over to the games and smiled widely when she realized. Then she turned to Serena. "Hey, Rena, I think you're going to miss home a little less when you see this."

Mina waved her over, and Serena quickly joined her, then freaked, as Mina had expected.

"SAILOR V! Yes! Holy crap, this is awesome!"

Darien chuckled from the doorway. "So you're a fan, Serena? It's going to take quite a lot to beat my high score."

Serena narrowed her eyes. "If that's a challenge, I'm more than up to face it."

Serena smiled, thinking about his accent. It was adorable, but kind of drove her up a wall. He had this thing where he'd pronounce all words ending in "-a" with an "-er" sound. So her name became "Serener" on his tongue, and Mina was "Miner". Or actually, that spelled miner. Mina was "Meaner". Serena giggled to herself. Meaner.

Darien smiled and waved the girls back over. "Come have a look at the rest of the house so we can settle in."

Darien led them through the room on the opposite side of the hall, a cozy in-home movie theatre for about a dozen people, decorated with a beige patterned carpet, dark brown Lay Z Boys, and a built in candy counter and popcorn machine inside, not to mention the massive screen that covered the back wall almost entirely.

Next, they took a tour around the backyard, which featured a covered patio that homed tons of furniture to seat party guests, a built in grill, a wooden stove and another bar, another pool table, and a TV, which was suspended on a retractable arm from the exterior wall. Behind the patio was a massive pool with a built in water slide and grotto, and past the pool was a mass expanse of green grass, gardens, ancient trees and shrubbery nicely kept. Serena could hardly make out fences that marked the end of their property; they seemed to stretch to the horizon line. Darien led them out through the gardens, which consisted of beautiful flowers of hundreds of different plant species and had cobblestone pathways and benches galore. There were also several ponds and natural looking waterfalls, teeming with various fish, mostly black and red koi fish, which Serena loved. There were also two gazebos, one on each side of the expanse and surrounded by little forests.

Darien led them back towards the patio but turned towards the side of the house before going back inside. He showed them the tennis and basketball courts, the latter of which had been built for Andrew and Darien's sport, and the former that was for Vanessa and her lessons. Darien told the girls that the cars were kept in the garage which made up the other side of the backyard, and that he'd show them later.

Serena couldn't stop thinking how unreal the place was. The house, no, mansion, was more like a palace then a home. Who in the world had all this in their home besides princes and czars and sultans? She'd tried her best not to keep gawking as they looked around but she couldn't help being amazed.

"Serena? Hello? Anybody home?"

A British accent broke through her thoughts and Serena looked up to see Darien standing and holding the door back into the house open for her.

"Would you like to come see the rest of the house?"

Serena simply nodded shyly and muttered a quick 'sorry' as she passed him and went back into the house. She ran to catch up with Mina who was already halfway up the staircase on the far side, so Serena started bounding up the stairs closest to her with Darien on her tail.

The second floor boasted a massive, beautiful full size kitchen. The cabinets were, again, mahogany, and the countertops were granite, with golden and brown specs. An island stood in the center of the kitchen, which was surrounded by three barstools on three of its sides, and it boasted a stovetop. The kitchen also had a massive fridge which Serena was sure harbored all kinds of goodies, a microwave, dishwasher and double oven, all made of stainless steel. Above the island hung a beautiful pot rack made of wrought iron that held a few copper and stainless steel pots, all under dimmed recessed lighting. She was in love.

Off the kitchen was a simple yet elegant mahogany dining set, which seated six, flanked by a china cabinet, which displayed beautiful collections of dishes and glassware, dimly lit.

The kitchen was part of an open floor plan and faced a living room, which was modestly decorated. The main feature of the room was a mahogany built-in entertainment center, fit precisely to the size of the wall, which housed a large, HD flat screen TV with a Blu-ray player and a massive collection of DVDs along with some other décor lit behind glass doors of the cabinets in the built-in. In front of the TV was a U-shaped sectional sofa made of taupe microfiber with mahogany feet, covered in brown and golden pillows in all sorts of prints and solids, made of various fabrics and decorated with unique beading details, and on it hung two or three dark brown microfiber blankets. It seemed to be the coziest couch Serena had ever seen. Between the couch and TV was a large brown leather ottoman, which was tufted with gold studs. Behind the sofa, a small table made of mahogany was decorated with frames of all materials and styles, all housing beautiful pictures of the family through the years, flanked by a beautiful potted orchid.

Serena bent to examine the photos more closely, smiling. She spotted Darien and Andrew at what appeared to be their early teens, and chuckled at the sight of a chubby Darien with braces and a young Andrew with a big gap in his front teeth. Then she saw who she assumed to be Vanessa, looking about ten, with beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes, a mix of the features Andrew and Darien both held. Then she saw their parents: their mother, a tall, beautiful woman with long, dark ebony hair and blue eyes, and their father, a serious looking man with bright green eyes and cropped blonde hair. She already imagine Darien to be his mother's golden child, as he was pretty much her exact replica, as Andrew that of his father, and Vanessa the perfect combination of both. They really were a lovely family. The pictures made Serena miss her own.

She finally stood and smiled up at Darien, who was absently looking around the room, at the ceiling, hands tucked in his pockets. Mina had vanished to God knows where, and he seemed to have been patiently awaiting Serena to finish examining the place. She was just about to get Darien's attention when she noticed French doors again on the far side of the room. She turned to Darien.

"Hey, Darien, what's in there, if you don't mind my asking?"

Darien seemed to have been interrupted in some deep thought. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I was just wondering what's behind those doors, if it's alright to ask."

He smiled. "Back there you'll find four guest rooms, two bathrooms, and my parents' master suite. I'll show it to you later if you'd like, but right now they're still asleep."

Serena looked at the clock on the microwave in the kitchen. It was nearing 5 AM. God, her internal clock was going to be off on this trip; it was about 1 PM in Tokyo. She was ready for a nap in a few hours, when it should be the time she was getting up here in the UK, really. She stifled a yawn.

"I suppose if your parents don't mind it'd be nice to see later. But where do we sleep?"

Darien cracked a smile. "Come along."

They traveled down the hall Serena had spotted until they reached the wall at the end. Darien turned to her as they approached the door.

"We're going in mum and dad's room now," he whispered, "Don't fret. So long as you keep quiet they won't know we're here."

Darien opened the double doors, but instead of being in a bedroom, they were in an office. On the right hand side was an elegantly and decadently carved mahogany desk with a glossy finish, mirrored identically by one facing it. On top of each desk was a lovely, old-fashioned stained glass lamp, dimly lighting an iMac desktop, keyboard and mouse. Behind each was a sleek yet comfortable looking office chair in brown leather, with tufts and studs matching those of the living room ottoman. Against all other walls were small bookshelves, all packed nearly to the brim with volumes of every kind and decorated with more photos, flowers, and lovely vases.

"This way," Darien whispered to Serena, taking her wrist and pulling her in another direction.

When Serena looked to what they were approaching she saw an elevator, which she had somehow managed not to notice before. Of course, it was covered and trimmed in mahogany, with an intricate and whimsical design carved onto the surface.

Serena watched as Darien pulled his keys from his pocket again, this time using one that had a bright blue and white guitar top, and placing it in a key hole under the button used to call the elevator.

He turned back towards Serena as he turned it in its hole then retrieved it. "This way," he said, holding the key up, "we can assure our privacy upstairs. It's not accessible by stairs save for a hidden flight in case the elevator's out of service, which never really happens. So really, with the exception of the elevator being down, or an emergency, this key is the only way to get upstairs."

The elevator door slid open quietly, and Darien allowed Serena to step in, then followed. He turned to her again. He began to fidget in one of his back pockets, which drew Serena's attention. As she watched him squirm around trying to find something, she couldn't help but take in the view; she stifled a giggle as she heard the words to _Baby Got Back _flood into her head. Serena was, after all, a woman who appreciated the male rear, and as for Darien's, she certainly appreciated it.

Darien blushed when he finally turned and found Serena had been looking at his derriere all that time, and blushed more when she didn't exactly look away as he turned. He cleared his throat in attempts to get her attention, and she looked up quickly, turning crimson. He suppressed a chuckle when she began to examine her shoes. She'd been caught red-handed. Well, staring really. Red-handed would be an entirely different level of embarrassment.

"Um, Serena?"

"Huh?" Oh my goodness, she thought.

"I suppose you were," he cleared his throat, "distracted." He held a small key in front of her, with a Hello Kitty cap on it, which was what he'd been digging for in his pocket all along.

"As I just explained, here, milady, is your key to the elevator, to use at anytime you please," he said to her, just as the elevator dinged.

When the doors slid open, Serena was confused. On the third floor she found a mirror image of the second floor space, perhaps on a smaller scale. The kitchen was decorated about the same, but smaller, only three bar stools at the smaller island, no pot rack. There was no dining table, but a small breakfast nook for three by a window that looked the same as the dining table downstairs. In the living area, décor was about the same, save that the couch was in an L-shape rather than a U and there were beanbags lying around. The smaller TV was not housed in an entertainment center, rather stood on a mahogany TV stand, which held a DVD player and XBOX, along with a small collection of movies and games. Stereos for surround sound and music surrounded the area. At the back wall, the same hallway seemed to stand.

"I don't get it."

Darien chuckled. "Friends who come up here on occasion usually don't. Basically, this area is like an apartment for Andrew, Vanessa, and I, so it mirrors the same kitchen and living room layout, but it's smaller for the three of us, and mom and dad occasionally join us. The first and second floors are really for entertainment purposes, since we host so many parties. This is our home."

Serena nodded, understanding. Darien then pulled her by the wrist to the hallway behind the French doors again. "Let me show you the bedrooms."

In the hallway, Darien began to explain the room layout. "These are ours; Andrew's is here," he said pointing to the closest door on the left, "Vanessa's is the middle one, right between us where she should be, and mine is the one at the far end." Then he pointed to the first door on the right. "This and the last rooms are guest rooms. Every room also has it's own bathroom, so you won't have to worry about sharing."

Serena turned to him. "What about the middle room?"

He smiled. "It's a small gym the three of us share. You and Mi are free to use it whenever you want, of course."

"Did I just hear my name?" Mina walked out of the first room briskly with clothes folded in her hand.

"Just saying you and Serena are free to use the gym right next door to you," he told her with a grin.

"Oh. Right. I'll go back to unpacking now," Mina turned and quickly walked back into her room before Serena, who was already glowering, could say anything.

"No wonder she managed to vanish so fast. She wanted to have first pick of rooms, right across from her beloved Aaandrew," Serena muttered.

Darien chuckled. "It's alright. Come have a look at your room. It's just down the hall."

Serena followed as Darien turned to the door on the right, her room, which was directly across the hall from another room on the left, his room. Serena blushed just to think how close their proximity would be to one another. She was brought back from her thoughts when he pushed open the door for her.

"You have a look around and get accustomed to the décor, hm? I'll head down and fetch your bags."

Darien turned and left Serena in the hall, in front of the doorway. She stood in front of the dark room, took a step towards it and flipped on the light, taking the next step in. A gasp escaped her as she took in the bedroom.

It was absolutely lovely. The main attraction of the room was the beautiful canopy bed, carved out of beautiful cherry wood and draped with delicate, ivory lace. The bedspread was an antique design, a floral pattern with an ivory background and deep rose-colored flowers all over it. Two dressers on either side of the bed, a vanity, a small desk with an antique lamp, and a wardrobe that housed a small flat screen TV and DVD player completed the furniture set. The walls were a delicate ivory color, as was the carpet, and the crown molding and base molding was cherry wood also. There were beautiful details and decorations on every piece of furniture, warming it and making it feel homey. Serena was in heaven.

And then she saw the closet. Assuming it would hardly be big enough to house all the clothes, shoes, purses and accessories she'd brought, Serena opened the simple cherry door to find that it hid a decent sized walk-in closet. She immediately thought she'd have to buy more luggage to fit the shopping she'd be doing with all this closet space to fill.

Just as she left the closet and broke into a run, throwing herself on the bed, Darien walked in with her suitcases to catch the landing. He burst out laughing as he watched her body slam face first into the comforter, and when she rolled over to breathe, she was laughing hysterically, too. He sank to the ground from how hard he was laughing, and tears were forming in her eyes.

"Oh, that was funny. Talk about good timing!" Serena said between laughs.

He kept chuckling but managed to talk between breaths. "I don't know what made you do that, but I thank the heavens for having me walk in to see that at just the right moment."

They both laid there for a bit, Serena on her bed, Darien on the floor, catching their breath. Serena finally spoke up.

"I really love my room."

Darien smiled from his spot in the carpet. "Vanessa will be glad to hear it, and of course I am, too. She had the guest rooms redecorated this week for the two of you."

Serena sat up abruptly. "What?"

Darien sat up to look at her. "Don't worry, it wasn't anything too drastic. She just changed the bedding, then had the canopy placed on top of the bed; it's removable, but she thought you might like it. And same in Mina's room: new bedding, new window treatments. That's all."

"Oh," Serena sighed in relief. She couldn't imagine the family going through loads of trouble and money just to make sure she liked a temporary room. But she loved this one.

"Well, I'll have to thank her. It's really great."

Darien stood from the ground. "I'm glad you like it."

Then he started heading towards the door. "I'll leave you to unpacking for a bit," he said, dragging her bags closer to the closet, "but if you need anything I'm just across the hall."

Serena nodded, and Darien smiled, shutting her door behind him as he left.

She fell onto her back on the bed again and smiled up at nothing in particular. This trip was going to be more than she bargained for, she thought, but she was ready for whatever it would bring.

About an hour later, after unpacking most of her belongings, Serena was yawning but didn't want to go to bed. The sun would be rising soon, so she didn't see why she should bother with a nap. Still, the rest of the house seemed so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Serena tip-toed out of her room, planning to look around the living area, when low and behold she found Darien, standing at the stovetop cooking something. She was about to make a mad dash back to her room, not wanting to interrupt him, when her stomach rumbled. Busted.

Darien turned around at a growling sound and found Serena looking down and clutching her stomach. He let out a low chuckle and tried to draw her attention.

"Serena," he called, to no avail, trying a bit louder, still whispering, "Hey, Serena."

She finally looked in his direction and grinned sheepishly.

He smiled at her and nudged his head in his direction while he held a pan and a spatula over the flame from one of the burners. "Come over here and have some breakfast. I know without a doubt that you're hungry."

Serena smiled and hesitantly approached Darien, taking a seat on a barstool opposite him at the island.

"Eggs or pancakes?" he asked over his shoulder.

Serena's eyes gleamed. "Can you make pancakes?"

He chuckled and turned to her placing the pan in his hand, which had an omelet inside, off to a side burner with low heat. He quickly poured a bit of batter he'd already made into another pan over medium heat then turned to Serena, eyeing her. She felt odd, as if he could see through her.

"Chocolate chips it is."

"What was that?"

"I'm assuming you'd like chocolate chips in your pancakes?"

Her eyes glittered again, and Darien thought she'd begin to drool.

He laughed again. "Just as I suspected."

He went into the fridge and grabbed a bag of chocolate chips, then a small box of blue berries. After he finished off a stack of three chocolate chip pancakes, he plated them and garnished with more chocolate chips, to Serena's delight, and some whipped cream. He then grabbed the omelet he'd been making and slid that onto a dish as well with a handful of blue berries. After placing both dishes side by side on the island, he headed towards the fridge again.

"Milk or juice?"

Serena could get used to this. "Milk, please."

"White or chocolate? Whole, 2%, skim, non-fat?"

She giggled. "How many options can a girl have? White, whole, please."

Darien grabbed two glasses from a cabinet beside the fridge and poured Serena's milk, then poured himself a glass of orange juice. After placing the drinks on the island, he grabbed silverware out of a drawer, then a napkin for each to use.

Placing everything down on the table, he grandly stated, "Bon appetite," and quickly began to dig in to his own meal.

After smothering them in maple syrup, Serena took a bite of her pancakes and her eyes widened. After she'd chewed and swallowed she thanked him.

"Darien, these are heavenly! I don't think I've ever had fluffier pancakes, and the chocolate is perfectly melted. You're a kitchen god. Thank you so much."

He smiled as he finished chewing a bite. "No need to flatter me, I'm glad you like them. It's the least I could do for a poor, jet-lagged, famished young lady such as yourself."

Serena was in awe. When he wanted to be, Darien was so charming. He moved about the kitchen like a world-class chef, knowing where everything was; Serena had to admit it was incredibly sexy. Not to mention his witty sense of humor and handsome grin. He was the definition of masculinity in Serena's eyes, if only he wouldn't have those mood swings.

Darien was only a few bites into his omelet when he stood and chugged down what was left of his orange juice. After placing his cup in the sink he set the coffee maker on, which he had apparently prepared already, as it began to pour out the black liquid.

When the machine had finished dispensing, he poured a mug for himself. While taking a sip, he turned towards Serena, holding up the glass container, raising his eyebrows.

Serena scrunched her nose and shook her head. Coffee disgusted her.

Darien shrugged his shoulders, still drinking from the mug.

Serena's mouth dropped open. "NO sugar? No cream?"

He shook his head. "Black, just how I like my suits. Thought I'd say women, didn't you?" he asked with a wink, making Serena laugh.

Finally, Serena realized they had been speaking in hushed tones all this time and wondered…

"Hey, Darien, why are we whispering? Are your parents still sleeping or something? I mean we are a floor up."

Darien glanced at the clock. It was nearing 6:30AM. His parents were probably about to head out the door. He shook his head and signaled for Serena to follow him. She only had a few bites left and figured she could manage if her pancakes were left unguarded for a few moments. She followed him as he began to enter the hallway, the stopped quick as he turned and held a finger to his lips. She watched him crack the door to Andrew's room open, then signaled to her to take a look in.

As quietly as she possibly could, Serena stuck her head in between the door and its frame, peering in to the room, and had to put all of her strength to good use to keep from bursting out laughing.

In the room, Andrew and Mina slept silently on Andrew's bed, spooning. But what was irresistibly funny was the fact that a small pool of drool had formed on the pillow under Andrew, his mouth gleaming, and Mina was snoring loudly.

Thinking she could contain it, Serena looked on a bit longer than she should've and let out a snort! Clapping his hand over her mouth, Darien pulled her head out from the doorframe and quietly shut the door, double-checking neither dreamer had been disturbed.

Serena was already doubled-over on the ground laughing so hard she'd gone silent. Darien smiled and helped her get up, then walked her back to the kitchen as she continued laughing.

"That was absolutely priceless," Serena managed between breaths.

"I all but keeled over when I walked in on them earlier. She must've snuck in while I was getting your bags. What I'd give to see their faces when they wake up!"

Serena smiled and nodded, then started picking at her pancakes again, Darien finishing off his omelet as well. They finished eating in silence.

After arguing with Darien for the right to do so, Serena placed both of their dishes and cups in the sink, leaving them for washing later. She yawned as she turned away from the sink, then closed her eyes and stretched, starting to feel sleepy.

"Maybe you should take a nap," Darien suggested.

Serena seemed to contemplate it then shook her head. "The sun will be up soon. Besides, there's actually a room I haven't seen in the house that I'd like to…"

"Of course," Darien realized, "I forgot to show you one of the best parts of the house. Come with me."

Serena frowned. She'd really wanted to see Darien's room and maybe get to know more about him, gain a feel of the things he liked. She's already learned a bit about his music tastes, but wanted to know more. She had a feeling that wasn't where he was taking her.

They reached the end of the hall, and Serena saw a set of French doors she hadn't noticed before. Darien turned to face her and quirked an eyebrow at her with a smile, to which she smiled in response.

"This is the best kept secret in this place. I'm sort of the only person that really appreciates it. It's one of my favorite places to reflect, and I don't usually share it with anyone. Consider yourself privileged," he said with a wink.

Serena blushed, luckily suppressing it until he had turned back to face the door and couldn't see her. He pushed the doors open and Serena gasped.

Beyond the doorway was a small balcony decorated with a pair of wicker chairs and a small wicker coffee table, along with a variety of nicely kept potted plants, but what was truly beautiful was the view the balcony held of the now rising sun.

"Breath-taking," Serena said dreamily.

"It certainly is," Darien replied a few moments later. Problem was, he hadn't even taken in the sunrise. He hadn't been able to peel his eyes off of Serena, who was glowing in a heavenly way, standing in the ethereal light. He couldn't look away from her, _Can't Take My Eyes Off of You _playing in the back of his mind.

Again, he forced himself back from his thoughts, turning away from her, looking severe in an instant. Serena, noticing his every gesture from the corner of her eye and blushing still, wondered what it was that kept crossing his mind and holding him back every time the mood between them turned a bit more than friendly. She knew they had just met, but there was some kind of undeniable connection between them, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. So she couldn't help being confused when his eyes and smile were soft at one moment, then stern as if disgusted the next. She suddenly felt cold.

"I'd like to go back inside," Serena said, turning away from Darien towards the doors.

He turned, noticing the expression she carried seemed sad. "Is something the matter, Serena?"

"I'm just tired," she snapped, stepping inside.

Darien followed after her. He didn't know what had happened to make her so brittle all of a sudden. Maybe it was something he did.

When they walked back in to the house, the light from the TV in Andrew's room was streaming out from under the door. One or both of them must've woken up. Even though she was upset, Serena's curiosity for what was in Darien's room came again to the forefront of her mind. Still, she wasn't going to say anything.

Darien, meanwhile, was trying to think of a way to get Serena to come around out of her mood.

"So, did you finish unpacking?"

Serena shook her head.

"Would you like some help? We could finish up quickly between the two of us."

Serena looked up at him and he smiled down at her. She didn't know how he managed to do it, but that particular smile he had could make her melt in an instant, no matter her mood.

She shrugged. "I guess we could do that."

They walked into her room and grabbed the two duffel bags Serena had left packed. Luckily, she'd already tucked away all her intimates and pajamas, which could be source of major embarrassment, were Darien to find any in her bags. He began handing her things out of her bags as she would place or hang them where she wanted them in the closet. The first was mostly clothes, or so Darien thought. As he reached the bottom of the duffle bag, Darien began to pull out rolled up handbags.

He furrowed his brow, handing the first to her.

She took in his expression as he began handing her purses.

"What?" she finally asked, unable to withhold the curiosity.

Darien smirked. "I don't see why you'd need so many bags."

Serena looked at him almost shocked. "You have a sister! You should know, a girl can never accessorize enough! Wait until you get to the shoes," she said giggling.

Darien rolled his eyes, handing her about seven more bags, bringing the grand total to twelve. He tossed the empty duffle bag into the back of the closet.

"Last one," he said, feigning exasperation.

"Ha ha," Serena said, glaring at him.

Darien unzipped the last bag and his mouth fell open.

"Bloody hell," he muttered.

Serena giggled. "Told you so."

The entire duffle bag was filled to the brim with shoes.

"Did you bring the whole of your closet here, Serena?" Darien asked, baffled.

"I'm dressing for two whole months, and I'll likely go through two or three outfits a day! To answer your question, yes I pretty much did, and I intend to go back with more," she replied, sticking her tongue out at him.

Darien laughed heartily, handing her a pair of navy blue rough satin pumps. He smiled, thinking of his sister, who was just as fashion savvy and stylishly coordinated. It was an annoying yet endearing quality.

They'd finished unpacking close to 7:30AM. The sun was barely begging to shine through the windows of Serena's room.

Serena had been a trooper through unpacking, yawning about every five minutes but carrying on until it was done. Darien didn't feel too tired, but could've gone for a nap if he really wanted to.

When she'd placed the last shoe in its place, Serena stepped out of the closet stretching and let herself fall on her back onto the bed. Darien helped himself off the floor and did the same, lying beside her. They both laid there in silence, looking up at the ceiling, until Darien spoke.

"I just realized, I gave you the grand tour and failed to show you the best room in the entire house."

She turned on her side and rested her head on her hand. "Really? I thought I'd seen it all," she said with a smirk.

"You're yet to see my room," he said with a wink, standing up from the bed. He walked towards the door without another word, heading into the hall.

Serena considered for a moment whether or not to follow him. She was in a better mood now, but was still sort of put off by some of his actions. She figured she might as well just go ahead and see it though, to get rid of her curiosity.

Just as she made up her mind, Darien turned to face her from the hall. "Are you coming, then, Serena?"

That little accent again. She smiled and stood up, walking into the hall and following him again into his room. He reached for the doorknob and turned it, opening the door and flicking on the light.

Serena smiled. It was his room, no question about it. It was masculine but refined, just like him. Two of the walls were an ivory color, the other two a deep shade of burgundy. All the furniture was black, as was the silk bedspread, only accented with burgundy stitching throughout. There were three pillows on each side of the bed, lined up one behind another: the first ones were also black with burgundy stitching, the second set in a simple burgundy pillowcase and the last set in ivory. There were pictures of Darien and Vanessa, Darien and Andrew, the three of them with their parents, in black and white, hung in black frames on the walls. In another corner of the room, there was a small bookcase, the shelves packed, with more volumes stacked on top of it. Close to the bookcase was a desk, where Darien had a small lamp, and a small vase that was filled to the brim with beautiful blood red roses.

It smelled like him, like Darien, a strong masculine scent but still just soft enough. Serena's head spun with every detail, but it wasn't until now, that she was standing in his room, that she felt truly comfortable, as if she were finally home. Darien chuckled at the sight of Serena and pushed the door towards its frame, stopping just before it shut. She hadn't said much, but he had an idea.

"So I'm guessing you like it?"

Serena nodded. "It's so inviting, homey. I mean, don't get me wrong, the house is beautiful, but it hardly looks lived in until you get up here. And I'm not sure if it's the colors, or the gorgeous pictures, but it feels so warm."

"Well, thank you very much, but don't go giving me all the credit…"

"Oh, no, no, no! I know a woman's hand was definitely at work in here. No straight man could coordinate this well, unless of course you are-"

"No, no," Darien interrupted her, causing her to smile, "straight as an arrow. This was all Vanessa's work. I just picked the colors."

They both laughed.

"I figured it must've been her. I took a peek at her room, the coordinated masterpiece of yellow, mahogany and magenta that it is."

Again, Darien chuckled and Serena felt her heart skip a beat. He sat on the footless edge of his bed, and Serena felt perfectly comfortable with sprawling herself out across the bed behind him, her legs still dangling off the edge. Silence pervaded awkwardly, and the room suddenly felt uncomfortably hot to Serena. Also to Darien, apparently, because he peeled off his green velvet blazer, which Serena actually found rather hideous, to reveal a black v-neck tee, which fit his form well, exposing his built upper body. Serena averted her eyes to the ceiling after staring for what she calculated as too long, blushing.

What she failed to notice was that Darien also looked away bashfully, after contemplating a bit too deeply a glimpse of Serena's porcelain skin. When she had lain down, she apparently failed to notice her shirt had ridden up, exposing her midriff, but Darien had certainly taken it into account.

"So," he finally spoke, breaking the silence, "I've done a lot of talking about myself and Andrew and my sister since you've gotten here. Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself, Serena?"

Serena laughed a bit dryly. "Well, what is there to tell? Um… Starting my last year of high school in August," she said through a yawn, "little brother named Sammy who I mentioned earlier, great mom and dad, cat named Luna that I adore. I'm fun-loving and food-loving, usually hyper and happy, rarely depressed or sad, and when I am, it's the end of the world. That's about me in a nut shell," she finished sighing.

She turned to him. "And what about you, hm?"

Darien smiled. "Usually reserved, although you seem to have quite the opposite effect on me, quiet, but not around you somehow, serious, though you bring more laughs about in me than maybe anyone ever has, incredibly sarcastic, I'm sure you've noticed, and very much into my family and studies."

Serena colored at some of his responses. "What are you studying?" she asked, yawning again, evading the subject further.

"My course of study is medicine. I think I'd like to be a surgeon or a pediatrician, but I haven't quite decided. Do you have any ideas for yourself?"

Serena smirked. "Ironically, I'm very into the idea of nursing."

"Really, then?" he asked, cracking a smile. "Well, pass me a scalpel."

Both laughed a bit. Darien turned a bit to face Serena at a better angle. He went to rest his hand on the bed, but ended up placing it where Serena had hers. He pulled it back quickly, almost jerking it, blushing and muttering an apology.

"It's okay," Serena replied a bit bitingly, "it's not like I have an open lesion or anything."

He looked at her, curious as to her sarcasm.

"You know Darien, you're a lot like this house," she said, yawning, her eyes closed, "big, impressive, stable, and _attractive_," she said, emphasizing the word, "but it's cold, sometimes," she finished, yawning again. It seemed she meant it literally, wrapping herself in a blanket. "You need a little heater…"

Before she or Darien fully understood what she had said, she'd drifted off to sleep.

Darien considered what she'd said as he watched her sleeping form. She'd called him attractive, but at the same time, told him he was cold. He smiled a bit, a little anger and sadness in his eyes. If only she knew…

'I already have a heater,' he thought, 'it just doesn't work too well.'

Well, there it is! I've out done myself. With all the time I've been spending at the hospital with my aunt, and what with her being knocked out half the time, I figured it'd do me well to take advantage of the time. Writing is my outlet, so I seem to find inspirations in times like this. I'll ask that you all keep my aunt in your prayers; her name's Angela. Also, I ask that you would pray for another boy, a friend of mine, Mike Vile, who's battling a severe brain tumor. He needs a miracle, so for those of you who share in the faith, I ask you'd keep him in mind.

Anywho, on a lighter note, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I made it a bit long. I originally intended to cover just the look and layout of the house in this chapter, but figured after two years you all should get some romance out of it. Hope you enjoyed! The next one should be out soon, if we're lucky, before my vacation!

Love you all!

-Rosy

Isaiah 41:10


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8! I'm shooting it out quick! Can't wait until I can get to pull out some of the tricks I have up my sleeve, heh heh heh. I'm starting to try incorporating some Brit lingo I found on le Google so I hope it's used correctly. Anyone from the UK, please feel free to correct me on it if I'm wrong. So, here's another installment of…

**Exchange for Romance, Please?**

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Serena yawned, awoken by a shiver. She wiggled further into bed warm again, her back cuddled into all of her pillows and stuffed animals, but soon realized she was in a completely wrong and rather uncomfortable position. She peered through one eye, ready to giggle at whatever crazed pose she was in, when both lids shot open.

This was not her- oh, right, she was in London. Just as she began to settle back in, her eyes shot open again.

Still not her room. She tried thinking back to a few hours ago. What she could last remember clearly was Darien taking off his jacket and then turning to move closer to her.

Oh God. She could feel something heavy draped over her waist and accurately guessed that it was Darien's arm, and this was indeed his room.

She gulped. She knew the next thing she had to do was check under the blankets and- she sighed loudly in relief. Fully clothed.

Serena didn't honestly expect to find herself naked; she didn't think Darien capable of taking advantage of her, or anyone for that matter. Still, she couldn't remember exactly how they had ended up here, in this position. What happened?

Just then, she realized their proximity, as she had snuggled further into Darien, not her stuffed animals back at home. Her bum was in a place it really ought not be and one of her legs was wrapped around his. She chuckled lightly, picturing Rei's or her father's face if one of them were to see her at this moment, in this way with Darien.

Serena attempted to scoot away a bit, but Darien groaned in his sleep and pulled her even closer to him than before, tightening his grip around her. Again, she found herself lucky that he couldn't see her as she blushed crimson. After another few futile efforts to put some space between them, Serena gave up, realizing there was no use trying to escape. She did do what she could as far as fixing the inappropriate positioning of her tush, turning to face him instead. She read 10 AM on the nightstand clock before resting her head back on the pillow, which had inexplicably made its way under her head in the time that she'd slept.

Serena was startled when she rested her head back down, forgetting that Darien's face would be right in front of hers once she'd turned over. She settled back in and decided to stare. She'd never have another opportunity to take him in this way, so figured she might as well take advantage of it. She studied the features of his face over and over, more beautiful now as he slept. Bravely, she ran a finger over his jaw-line, and his lips curved into a small smile as he instinctively held her closer, much to her delight. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, closing her eyes and breathing in his scent, trying to remember a time when she'd felt like this.

But the moment ended quickly as she felt Darien stir and then heard him groan as his grip around her loosened. She quickly decided to pretend she was sleeping, keeping her eyes shut.

He gasped, and she figured he'd opened his eyes as she struggled to hold in a laugh. Still, he wasn't making an effort to move. As Serena lay there, curious as to the thoughts in his head, Darien pondered as she had how they'd ended up this way.

He remembered it clearly. Serena had fallen asleep at the foot of his bed. He hadn't been able to help but look at her for a bit, since she couldn't catch him. He had known it was wrong, but her was so attracted to her. And who wouldn't be? She was beyond beautiful. He had tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and placed a pillow under her head, then had decided to watch TV beside her as he played with a few strands of her hair. He'd gotten cold and snuck under the blanket she'd covered herself with. He knew he should've done a better job at controlling himself, but he couldn't help wanting to be close to her. He thought how she'd react if she woke up; she'd probably think he was a pervert. But she didn't have to know.

Apparently he'd fallen asleep after that, but how they'd ended up in such an intimate position was beyond him. Their legs were intertwined and he was holding her as her head rested by his neck, her hands lying on his chest.

He was so drawn to her. She seemed almost angelic as she slept, and Darien couldn't help himself. He turned to look at the clock- 10:15AM- and realized it was time to get moving. Today would be a busy day; he and Andrew were taking the girls sight seeing. He could already picture the silly, excited faces Serena would make, but then he saddened, remembering that once today ended, things would already start going back to normal for him tomorrow. All the fun, carefree moments he'd enjoy today would be gone tomorrow.

He pushed a strand of hair out of Serena's face before lightly kissing the top of her head. This was his only day with Serena. He intended to enjoy every moment of it before it all came to a sad end.

Serena, still playing asleep, was shocked beyond all comprehension, but ecstatic. Now she knew he had to have felt the same connection she felt between them, even though it was fast.

He began to untangle himself from her, but Serena decided she'd play the same game he had earlier and snuggled farther into him, mumbling inaudibly. Unbeknownst to her, Darien smiled warmly. He cuddled back up to her, giving her a quick hug, kissed her head again, than managed to wiggle away before she could reach out for him again.

He stood and stretched, yawning loudly, than looked down at his clothes to find them horribly wrinkled. He turned to find Serena still asleep, or so he thought, and decided it would be aright if he changed in his room.

Serena could hardly hold in a giggle as he hummed, walking around the room. She heard a few drawers open, then heard a ruffle which she suspected was a shirt being taken off, and decided that now would be an excellent time to wake up, hopefully to Darien in topless glory. She rolled over in bed, stretched and feigned a yawn, then popped her eyes wide open.

"OH MY GOD!" she yelled, covering her face with the sheets.

"Bollocks, Serena! I'm so sorry, it's not what you think!"

Serena had opened her eyes expecting to get a view of the six-pack she suspected Darien hid under that shirt. But when she sat up, what she got was an eye full of his package, Darien suddenly standing there, beet red in his boxer briefs.

"I wasn't expecting you to wake up so soon, I'm so sorry! You nearly caught me starkers!"

"Starkers?" she asked from under the covers.

"Oh, sorry, I believe stark naked is the expression," Darien replied.

Serena smiled a bit, still covering her face. "Are you decent yet?"

"One second, please. I'm so, so sorry." Serena heard him stepping into some pants. "There."

Darien looked at Serena as she uncovered herself. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw he was still shirtless. She was still blushing, as was he, but as soon as she looked up at him she burst out laughing hysterically.

"Well, good morning, Darien," she managed to get out between breaths.

"Eh, yes, hello Serena," he replied, blushing deeper still, but trying to keep his cool.

"Sleep well?" she asked, fully aware that he had.

"Splendidly, actually, and yourself?" he asked, knowing she'd had pleasant dreams judging by the smile she'd carried in her sleep, feigned, unbeknownst to him.

"Very pleasantly, thank you," she said with a smile.

He cleared his throat, now blushing again. "Well, are you confused as to how you got here, then?"

She shook her head. "I remember I fell asleep a few hours ago. Though I don't remember having this pillow," she said with a smirk, holding up the incriminating evidence.

Darien blushed more, if that was even possible. "Yes, well, I didn't… didn't want you getting neck pains or a crick just yet on your first day in town."

She smiled and tossed the pillow at him, which made him chuckle.

"Alright then, c'mon," he said as he pulled the blanket off of her, "up and at 'em. We have much to do today. We're going to try and get all the sight-seeing done at once."

Serena stood from the bed and grabbed a hold of the blanket, which he was also holding.

"Darien, it's not even 11 AM yet. This is no decent hour for a teenaged, tired young girl such as myself to even be conscious. I intend to go back to sleep."

She tugged on the blanket without noticing that it was still in Darien's grasp, that he was holding it rather tightly, and that he was also standing on the tail end of it. The tug was just enough to send them both tumbling onto the floor.

Darien looked down at Serena, pinned under him with her hair frazzled, and she looked up a him, the blanket draped over his head like a veil on a nun, and the two burst out laughing together as Darien rested his forehead on Serena's. Once the laughing fit had subsided, Darien rolled off of Serena and they both stared at the ceiling in pleasant silence, smiles still plastered on each of their faces.

"Awkward morning, hm?"

Darien chuckled. "Oh, most definitely."

"If some people would've seen this…" Serena could already imagine her father, smoke barreling out of his ears.

"Oh, I'm sure there are some who'd give quite a start. I can already imagine An-" he paused, the smile slowly leaving his face, "Andrew," he finished.

Serena furrowed her brow. She couldn't imagine Andrew being anything but humored by the situation, but she supposed Darien must've known his brother better than she did. She turned on her side, looking at Darien, and he did the same soon afterwards. She looked into his eyes and saw a sadness in them that she hadn't seen since their argument earlier. She couldn't understand how his moods kept changing so constantly.

"Something wrong?" she asked him.

"Who, me?" he replied, furrowing his brow. He put a halfhearted smile on for her. "No, everything's fine."

He sat up abruptly. Serena knew he wasn't being honest with her, but she didn't want to push him any further. She could tell he didn't really want to talk about whatever it was.

"We really should be getting ready to go. It's nearing eleven o'clock in the morning, our first tour starts at 11:30 AM, and it's a bit of a drive." He turned and smiled at her.

"Oh, where are we going first?" she asked, excited.

"It's a surprise," he said standing and extending a hand to help her up.

"I think you should know, I don't like surprises very much," she told him, furrowing her brow and pouting as she stood.

Darien looked down at her, smiling wider. "Why don't you go ahead and start getting dressed, hm? You may not like surprises but I think you'll like the ones we have planned today."

He started shooing her towards the door. She took a hold of his hand with her other hand around the doorknob.

"Thanks for letting me nap here this morning instead of kicking me out. And thanks for the… entertainment this morning," Serena told him, blushing as she giggled.

Darien smirked, looking down at their linked hands. "The pleasure is all mine. After all, I am only here to amuse," he said with a wink.

She continued to look up at him until he finally looked up from their hands and met her eyes, a blush creeping into his cheeks as well.

"Go on now," he said taking her by the shoulder and turning her towards the doorframe, trying to keep her from noticing he'd colored.

She turned and smiled at him over her shoulder one last time once she was in the hallway before turning back and shutting the door behind her, leaving him leaning on his shoulder on the doorframe. They both sighed longingly, unbeknownst to one another.

Serena was across the hall and just about to turn the doorknob to her room, when she was completely startled.

"Excuse me, what do you think you're doing young lady?"

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Bwahahaha! Cliff hanger! Is it Mrs. Shields? Andrew? Ken Tsukino himself, flown all the way in from Tokyo? Oh, the surprises in store! Bwahaha!

I thought I'd get you all with a little fun and games, even if it's a short chapter. I am literally in the middle of my vacation on the island paradise of the Dominican Republic, but I've caught the place mid-tropical depression, so the weather's been TERRIBLE. Hopefully it will be bright and sunny starting tomorrow, because my boyfriend is flying in to join my family and I until Saturday, and it's his first big luxurious vacation. Praying for sunshine!

Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this installment. I'm actually starting on the next chapter once I'm through with uploading this one. Nothing better to do for now!

Hugs & kisses,

Rosie


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9! On with it! Stephumz, you totally busted me!

Disclaimer: Yeah, Sailor Moon is not mine. Sad day.

**Exchange for Romance, Please?**

Serena turned and grinned sheepishly, chuckling awkwardly.

"I said, where do you think you're going?"

Serena frowned. "In case you didn't notice, I'm about to enter my bedroom… And, I'm sorry Mina, whose doorway are you standing in?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Mina blushed. "Th-tha-that's different," she explained, stuttering, "Andrew and I have history. And back to the topic at hand, what are you doing slinking out of Darien's room and creeping over to yours in the wee hours of the morning?"

"I would hardly call 10:30AM 'wee hours'. I'll have you know we were just talking and both ended up falling asleep. Later he woke up, and just a few minutes ago sent me packing once I was awake, that's all. But it doesn't seem you've slept much, hm?" Serena gave Mina a questioning once over.

As she'd been talking, Mina seemed rather tired, even yawning, and her hair looked disheveled, her clothing wrinkled, and her lips swollen. The blush that crept up her face all the way to her hairline spoke volumes.

"Anywho," Serena interrupted with a smile, trying to spare her best friend further embarrassment, "you should get ready. We're going on some kind of sight-seeing together, but Darien's being very secretive about where we're going. It's a surprise," she said.

With that, Serena turned and walked into her room. Once her door was shut, she beamed and clasped her hands together in front of her chest. This morning had started off amazing, and she was hoping the rest of the day would go just as well.

She took a quick shower and threw on her undergarments, a jean mini over sheer leggings with thick pink and white horizontal stripes, a white fitted scoop-neck tee, a grey tweed vest and grey flats. She dusted some loose powder on her face and blush over her cheeks, applied some mascara to her lashes, then slicked on some clear lip gloss.

She opted to brush her hair out straight and loose rather than putting it in her traditional odangoes, did a side part on the left side of her head, then clipped some of her hair behind her left ear with a small grey and pink polka dotted bow. She smiled approvingly at herself in the mirror.

Mina was stepping out of her own room just as Serena was, wearing a black fitted V-neck tee, a few necklaces with gold, yellow and orange beading, skinny jeans, chunky orange and yellow bangles, orange flats, and a black headband with orange gems clustered on the left side of it.

"How do we manage to always look so fabulous and adorable, simultaneously?"

Serena giggled and nodded, agreeing with Mina.

Just then, Andrew and Darien stepped out of their rooms. The four of them stood there in the hallway, looking at each other, and burst out laughing. Darien had thrown on a white T-shirt and jeans, then added a grey vest and grey Vans, and Andrew was wearing a black V-neck tee, jeans, and a black and orange trucker hat with black and orange checkered Vans. Both couples were matching nearly head to toe.

"I can't-"

"Believe this," Darien finished for Serena.

"And it was-"

"Mere coincidence!" Andrew added after Mina.

Then all four shrugged simultaneously and burst into another laughing fit as they made their way to the kitchen.

"So how are we handling transportation today?" Andrew inquired.

"I think yesterday worked fine," Serena suggested, "not to mention that I'm a bit claustrophobic, so I'd rather not be crammed in those microscopic back seats."

Mina's eyes widened. '_Liar!_' she thought, '_You hid in a locker for fifteen minutes to avoid Haruna-sensei giving you a lecture on your tardiness and were fine when you stepped out_!'

Serena could almost hear her thoughts and smiled snidely.

"I'm fine with it if you all are," Darien said.

And so they split up into pairs of two again. In the car, Serena did what would now be usual, searching through Darien's CDs and settling on Andrea Bochelli.

"Interesting choice," Darien said.

"What can I say? His voice is soothing," Serena replied.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, until Serena finally spoke up.

"You know, it may be weird to talk to you about this, but I'm sure you're used to hearing these things having a teenage sister and all. Do you feel my bangs are too short? I'm rarely happy with them. I feel they need to be longer, but everyone I ask tells me they're fine."

Darien's eyes turned to saucers, his jaw ajar, stunned into silence. He had never imagined he'd hear something like this from Serena's mouth, certainly not within the first day she was in town. She didn't seem to be that kind of girl.

"Well," she insisted, "do you?"

He blushed. "Serena, honestly I haven't a clue as to how long your bangs are, and it's a bit of an awkward topic for you to strike up."

"Really? You're uncomfortable talking about this? I mean, I understand being well informed on it can come off as a little… feminine… but-"

"Serena!" Darien blushed fully now, his face crimson.

"Darien, don't worry! I don't think you're gay at all, I just want your opinion on my bangs."

"I have no opinion about your bangs, Serena, and I feel uncomfortable with you further prodding me about the question. And clearly there's nothing gay about the topic. Heterosexuals are just as well informed about banging as the homosexual community. I, honestly, have no experience with bangs, so I really can't help, and I'm appalled that you would be familiar with the action."

Serena looked at him questioningly. "Darien, it's clear on my face that I have bangs. You can't miss it. And come on, don't try and fool me. It's obvious you're in control of your bangs. They suit you perfectly!"

"Serena, please!" Darien raised his voice. "Stop! I have no desire to know about your sexual trysts, nor do I intend to take it well when you accuse me of being sexually active after I've directly told you I'm not involved in those types of actions!"

Serena stared at him, mouth agape. They both sat in silence, Serena shocked and Darien brooding, for a few moments.

"I'm sorry, WHAT?"

Darien glanced aside at Serena. "My thoughts exactly," he mumbled bleakly.

"How dare you speak about such inappropriate things in front of me, Darien? We hardly even know each other. I have no curiosities as to your sex life, and think it's highly disrespectful of you to speak about sexual acts when I was merely asking you a question about my hair!" Serena was indignant.

"HAIR?" Darien exclaimed. "I could hardly call asking me about the length of your bangs a common conversation about hair."

"DARIEN!" she yelled, "I was talking about my bangs! My hair! These little hairs RIGHT HERE! ON MY FOREHEAD!"

Darien slammed on the breaks and turned to look at her, red in the face. He took a deep breath as he pulled into a parking space of what Serena guessed was their final destination. He let out a long sigh before speaking.

"I'm sorry," he said, sounding much more calm and civil, "but what do you mean, Serena? I'm not understanding anything right now."

Serena also relaxed a bit, sitting back in her seat. "What I had been asking you originally, Darien, was if you thought these, my bangs," she said, running her fingers through the short chunks of hair framing her face, "suit my face properly, length wise. I think my stylists always cuts them too short, and I figured you might know something about it with a sister who's so on trend and your own expertly styled cut. How we went from me discussing my bangs to you talking about your sex life, I don't understand."

Darien turned beet red. Silence pervaded for a few minutes, until Serena finally burst.

"PLEASE explain your yelling at me about sex, Darien!"

Darien cleared his throat, still blushing. "Serena, I'm afraid this is a massive misunderstanding on my behalf. You see, here in the UK, 'bang' or 'bangs' are words used as slang for sexual trysts… Our equivalent of your 'bangs' would be 'fringe'. I'm so embarrassed to have even thought so little of you, Serena. Please forgive my vulgarity for even thinking that. I'd understand if you're completely offended and angry with me."

Through Darien's rant, Serena went from pink to bright red to maroon. For a moment she thought she'd melt into a puddle from the humiliation, and the next thing she knew, as Darien finished speaking, she'd burst out laughing. It was altogether a far too hysterical misunderstanding.

Darien cracked a smile watching her laughing fit.

She sighed mid-fit as her hysterics began to subside to giggles. "Oh, man," she managed to get out between laughs.

She caught her breath. "You're forgiven, in case you couldn't tell. That was too funny. I mean, I still can't believe you think I'd even talk about or be capable of any of that, but it's far too comical that this just happened to us."

Darien let out a relieved laugh. "Sorry, again, but yes, quite funny. I don't know why, but I get the feeling that things like this may happen to us more often now. I'm a bit afraid."

Serena giggled. "If this is going to happen more often, I'd say I'm looking forward to it more than dreading it."

He grinned that sly grin of his that made Serena want to swoon. "Yes, well, we'll just have to see about that, I suppose."

Darien leaned to his right, inching towards Serena and turning to face her. "And, to answer your question, one, I think your hair looks lovely this way," he said softly as he pushed some hair behind her right ear, "and two, I think your fringe suits you just perfectly. Honestly, I think anything would suit you perfectly."

Serena blushed profusely as she looked up into his eyes. She could feel his breath on her face, and she knew there was no use in trying to hide the redness in her cheeks. He stared right back into her eyes, grin still poised and completely unnerving. Serena had no idea what she was supposed to do in the moment, and gave into the only thing her heart was telling her she could do. Hesitantly, she inched forward, never once breaking her eye contact with him, searching those eyes and that flawless face for any hint of rejection.

He was beside himself with such a mixture of feelings that Darien had no idea what to do. He wanted this more than anything, and he could tell it was what Serena wanted, too; otherwise she wouldn't be initiating this kind of behavior. He smiled despite himself, surprised that she'd take the lead in this situation. But he knew it was wrong. What would his parents think? And… She was so close to him now. His hand lingered at her neck. The peppermint flavor on her breath tickled his nose. Turning away and refusing her was an impossibility.

Nothing could be done. It was what it would be.

A tiny teaser for you, my lovelies! I'm back!

I mean, I never really left, I've just gotten SO terribly busy. I finally got myself a decent job, am working very hard towards my BA in Education… it's so close I can taste it! Junior year of university is proving to be a stressful one, and in the past six months I've been through hell and high water!

Just to give some news to those of you interested in an update from my last post, clearly, I'm no longer on summer vacation. Sad face, I know. To break all the sad news to you at once, my great aunt whom I mentioned in a previous chapter passed away on July the 4th of last year, and another very dear uncle of mine who'd been battling lung cancer also passed away this past December. It's been a tough few months but they've also been sprinkled with tidbits of joy! The very uncle who passed away was able to see one of his only two granddaughters be born, two precious baby cousins of whom I'm incredibly proud and immensely in love with! And some of the best news, Mike Vile who I'd mentioned was battling a Stage IV brain tumor… Ladies and Gents I'm proud to deliver the message that he was miraculously cured! The tumor which had been inoperable shrunk after treatment and MOVED (which doctors confirmed DOES NOT happen) to a place that facilitated its removal. He's still undergoing some treatment to ensure the cancer doesn't reemerge, but I must say my little lemon drops, God is so good!

ANYWAYS, hopefully school and work won't take too much out of me and you'll hear from me again soon!

All my love,

Rose Zen


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